SEE has turned administration of the Laws of Life Essay Program to Character.org. To participate in this national Laws of Life program, please go to - https://character.org/laws-of-life-contest/
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SEE had been administering the Laws of Life essay program for Connecticut students from 2000 through 2021. Participants have recognized the great value in "writing from the heart" to identify their personal laws of life. The program was established by Sir John Templeton in 1987. With initial support of the Templeton Foundation, a Laws of Life essay program has been facilitated by SEE for students in Connecticut.

​Benefits of Laws of Life Participation

• Provides students the opportunity to write, reflect and discuss their values with peers, ​teachers, parents and others
• Motivates students to “write from the heart” to produce excellent narratives
• Integrates the writing process with effective character education
• Encourages schools to obtain community support to recognize student writing
• Provides schools a positive opportunity to recognize students’ values
• Promotes a sense of positive community within the classroom
• Prepares students for writing process on standardized tests (CMT and CAPT)
• Fits easily into any writing curriculum (Language Arts/English, History, Social Studies, Health)
• Encourages students of all writing ability to participate
• Provides lesson outlines to prompt Laws of Life essays from literature assignments

Tips and Tools

Supporting Quotes

Writing Prompts

Suggested Lesson Outline

How to Obtain Community
Support

How to Write a Press Release

Sample Essays

Sample Lessons ​

Frequently Asked Questions

SEE has averaged about 3,000 writers per year participate in the Laws of Life essay program. 

The process of Laws of Life essay writing may catalyze important and personal reflection with powerful and emotive laws of life.  However, as a public writing contest, laws of life essays should be positive, life affirming and be appropriate for public reading.

No one described in a laws of life essay (directly or indirectly) should have their reputation harmed by the publication of the essay. A laws of life essay is not intended to reveal criminal or unethical behavior of the writer or others.

The essay writing contest seeks to highlight Laws of Life as aspirational goals to be shared with teachers, family and peers. SEE will not forward to judges or publish essays that might harm the reputation of those cited in essays, even when students are articulating an important Law of Life.

Laws of Life has been approved for implementation in Connecticut schools by Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS) and endorsed by National School Boards Association and is on the National Association of Secondary School Principals’ National Advisory List of Student Contests and Activities.​
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SEE is grateful for start up funding for this project from the John Templeton Foundation and regular funding from Webster Bank, Yale New Haven Health, Herbert Consulting, Peter & Alexandria Donovan and Chris & Debbie Gallo.

Ethics in action creates character